The Municipality of Loulé marked Portugal’s National Nature Conservation Day, celebrated on 28 July, with the launch of the Natural Capital Investment Guide – From Opportunity to Action in the Municipality of Loulé, a pioneering publication in Portugal that positions the municipality as a national benchmark for attracting sustainable investment and promoting the economic value of Nature. The guide is designed to support investors, businesses, landowners and public entities in identifying investment opportunities that combine nature conservation, innovation and economic development.
With around 64% of its territory included in Portugal’s National Network of Protected Areas and approximately 30,000 hectares of high natural value, Loulé offers unique conditions to lead a new approach to Natural Capital investment. The guide identifies seven Nature Investment Hubs, presenting concrete investment opportunities related to ecosystem restoration, the enhancement of ecosystem services, the bioeconomy, regenerative agriculture, sustainable forestry, nature-based tourism, and emerging carbon and biodiversity credit markets. It also provides an overview of the main financial instruments currently available to support these types of investments.
By making this strategic guide freely available, the Municipality of Loulé reinforces its commitment to sustainability by bringing scientific knowledge closer to economic decision-making, attracting responsible investment and creating value from natural resources. The launch of this guide represents another milestone in the municipality’s environmental innovation and territorial development strategy, strengthening Loulé’s position as a forward-looking territory prepared to meet the challenges of the green transition.
The guide is available free of charge through the Loulé Adapta platform or directly at: http://www.louleadapta.pt/uploads/document/Guia_de_Investimento_em_Capital_Natural_28.07.26.pdf .